Speaking at the launch, TSTT CEO Ronald Walcott said: “For the past 25 years, TSTT has been at the forefront in modernising the communications technology infrastructure of Trinidad and Tobago. Our initiatives have enabled our citizens and businesses to flourish and stimulate greater financial success. Today, we are proud to play an instrumental role in enabling the national security apparatus to make a quantum leap in their technological capabilities to access video surveillance data in a number of key areas.”

Noting that reducing the prevalence of crime was the Government’s number one priority, Minister Dillon said, “The addition of the 800 CCTV cameras and four regional Command Centres into the national security framework is a direct result of TSTT partnering with the Ministry in the fight against crime.”

“I want to acknowledge the high sense of corporate social responsibility demonstrated by TSTT in seeking to contribute in a very tangible way to improve the safety and security of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago…It is a very good demonstration of public private partnership and this level of co-operation is most welcome by the Government.”

“The expansion of the CCTV network will help boost law enforcement’s ability to respond to, to detect and possibly curb criminal activities through intelligence-led operations.” It will also enable a concentration of force at the right time and place for maximum efficiency.

Over 200 TSTT personnel worked tirelessly to deliver the mega project within budget and in a short time-frame of just six months. Explaining that 873 cameras existed before as a result of a partnership with the Ministry that began in 2007, TSTT Executive Vice President Strategic Alliance, Enterprise and Tobago Operations Rakesh Goswami said that with 800 additional cameras, “We now have a total of 1,673 closed circuit cameras on a highly redundant and resilient, dedicated fibre network, state-of- the-art analytics and multiple monitoring centres.”

Responding to questions from the media following a tour of the Maloney Command Centre, Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams said of the CCTV project, “It will impact all crimes that occur in the public space and that extends to robberies, larceny, murders, shootings, kidnappings…it will touch on almost every serious crime type.” However, he stressed that for the CCTV cameras to be effective, “All of us have a part to play. Partnership with citizens is critical.”

Describing it as a red letter day for the residents of Maloney Gardens, Minister of Planning and MP for Arouca-Maloney Camille Robinson-Regis welcomed and applauded the initiative and noted that it reflected a novel feature in crime fighting referred to internationally as Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED). She said the CCTV cameras and Command Centres would maximise the risk to offenders, maximise the effort required to commit crime, minimise the benefits, and lessen the opportunities for crime.

Reiterating TSTT’s hope that the CCTV and Command Centre project would significantly improve the National Security Ministry’s continuing war against crime, CEO Walcott said, “TSTT will continue to be a technology partner in the commitment to realise our collective dream of a safe and prosperous Trinidad and Tobago.”